Rangers 4, Indians 3
CLEVELAND -- Prince Fielder's three-run home run and Mitch Moreland's solo homer accounted for all of the Texas Rangers' runs in a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians Tuesday night at Progressive Field.
The Rangers came back from an early 3-0 deficit on the strength of the longball. Five Texas pitchers combined on a five-hitter, with right-hander Keone Kela (4-1) getting the win. Right-hander Shawn Tolleson pitched the ninth to earn his fifth save. Left-hander Nick Hagadone (0-1) took the loss.
After designated hitter Fielder's three-run home run off right-hander Danny Salazar tied it at 3-3 in the fifth, first baseman Moreland hit the game-deciding homer in the eighth. With one out in the eighth, Moreland pounded a pitch from Hagadone into the seats in right field for his fifth home run, giving the Rangers a 4-3 lead.
Cleveland scored two runs in the first inning on home runs by second baseman Jason Kipnis and left fielder Ryan Raburn, but the Texas pitchers held the Indians to one run on three hits over the last eight innings.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, an error and a hit batter put Indians at first and second with two outs, but Tolleson retired left fielder Michael Brantley on a grounder back to the mound to end the game.
The Indians struck first with a pair of home runs in the first inning off left-hander Wandy Rodriguez. Kipnis led off with his fifth home run. Two outs later, Raburn sliced his second home run around the right-field foul pole to give Cleveland a 2-0 lead.
Cleveland made it 3-0 in the fourth inning, which began with a double to center field by Raburn. A groundout by designated hitter Nick Swisher moved Raburn to third, and he scored on a sacrifice fly by catcher Yan Gomes.
Salazar held Texas scoreless on three hits through the first four innings. But the Rangers tied it in the fifth inning, thanks to red-hot Fielder. With one out, center fielder Leonys Martin walked and right fielder Shin-Soo Choo was hit by a pitch. Fielder then belted the first pitch from Salazar deep into the seats in right-center field, a drive estimated at 441 feet for his 10th home run, a three-run blast that tied the score.
NOTES: Entering Tuesday, Rangers 1B Prince Fielder was 11-for-19 (.579) with four home runs and 12 RBIs in his last four games. He is just the second Rangers player ever with 11 or more hits and 12 or more RBIs in a four-game span. Ivan Rodriguez did it during the 1999 season. ... Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre's home run on Monday was the 401st of his career, tying him with Miguel Cabrera for 52nd all time. No. 51 is Duke Snider with 407. ... Indians 2B Jason Kipnis leads AL second basemen in hits, doubles, triples, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS, but he was not among the top five vote getters at second base in the first update of fan voting for the All-Star Game.